Page 108 of Sweeter Than Fiction

I’ve never put much thought into motherhood—mainly because I’ve never even been remotely close.

Pregnancy has always kind of freaked me out. The thought of something inside me, swimming around in my belly unnerves me. It sounds more like a scene from a horror movie than something I would be completely elated over.

But as I sit here, I set my hand on my stomach and think about how there may be something inside there. Somehow, now, it doesn’t seem so alien-like.

What would it be like to have a little munchkin running around? Man, I hope they get Don’s good looks. And his sparkling personality.

Matter of fact, I hope they come out exactly like him. Hopefully, they don’t inherit my awkwardness or health issues.

I love this man. Would it be so bad to have a baby with him? I’ve seen him with Kaylee, and he’s amazing. I can only imagine how wonderful he would be with his own kid.

Our own kid.

Man, that sounds fucking crazy.

We could have a kid. We could be parents.

How weird is that?

As absolutely terrified as I am, I have to admit that there’s a little part of me that feels a little excited. With anyone else, excitement wouldn’t be part of this equation. With Don, it’s a bigger part than I thought it would be.

A knock on the door startles me. I assume it’s the doctor, but it’s Jenson who pokes his head through.

“Hey, beautiful. Can I come in?”

I nod.

“What did they say?”

“Nothing yet. I feel like I’ve been poked and prodded, but no one is giving me any answers.”

He sits in the free chair next to the table. “Have you thought any more about what you want to do if you are?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think you’re going to keep it?”

“You know, I always told myself that if I did manage to get pregnant, there would be options. But now that I’m here, I can’t think of anything besides keeping the baby.”

“You’d make a great mom,” he says with a smile.

“And you’re full of shit.” I laugh. “But I’m good at figuring things out, so I guess I’ve got that going for me.”

Another knock interrupts our giggle fest. This time, it’s the doctor.

She walks over and takes a seat in front of me. “Hi, Abby. How are we doing today?”

“Okay, I guess.”

“Well, I have all of your test results.” She flips through the papers in my chart. “Looks like you’re not pregnant.”

I let out a deep breath, unsure of whether I feel relief or disappointment.

Or a mix of both.

The doctor’s eyebrows furrow as she continues to read. “I’m glad you came in, though. Your tests show…” She stops talking and looks at Jenson. “Are you family?”

Anyone can take one look at him and realize that we aren’t a couple.

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